Ohio State Lacrosse Player Transferring to Syracuse Football

The Orange has added a new punter to the roster from an unusual source.

Transfers are becoming more and more common in collegiate athletics. Typically, however, they are done within the same sport. Rarely does a player transfer schools to play a different sport, and yet that is exactly what has happened with Colby Barker. Barker is transferring from Ohio State lacrosse to Syracuse football where he will be a walk-on punter. 

Barker, a former standout lacrosse star at Pittsford High School in Western New York, elected to opt out of the 2021 lacrosse season due to the pandemic and other personal reasons. The 6-1, 199 pounder entered the NCAA transfer portal in the fall looking for a new challenge. 

"I'm a punter, actually, and I was always interested in that coming out of high school even though I committed early for lacrosse," Barker said. "I kind of just wanted to see where it would go. I made a film and sent it out to people this fall since because of covid I was home a lot. It just kind of fell into place where Syracuse was gracious enough to offer me a walk-on spot and we're going to see how it goes this summer."

After entering the portal, Barker still participated in fall workouts with the Ohio State lacrosse program. During that time he was contacted by some schools to transfer to continue playing lacrosse, but he was focused on football. 

"I was mainly looking just to play football," Barker said. "Football's always, growing up, I don't want to say my first love because I loved both (football and lacrosse), but I think it was time for me to go see if I could do something else. I had my years of lacrosse and I think the only way I wanted to go to grad school and pay for more school was to play football."

Barker did say other schools were expressing interest in him as a football prospect beyond Syracuse, but ultimately he decided to stick with the Orange. He is looking for to running out of the Dome tunnel wearing the blue and orange. 

"My mom actually went there for a semester and was on the cheer team and then ended up transferring," Barker said. "She got her old varsity jacket out. It was very exciting for me. I'm just really honored and blessed and humbled by the opportunity that Syracuse gave me. To be able to put the pads on again and run out of tunnel, especially at a place like the Dome that is just an incredible place, I'm just humbled to be honest. It still feels a little surreal." 

Barker graduates from Ohio State in May and will join the Syracuse program this summer.